Stoneworking machine



Juiiy 8 1924.

H. H. MERCER STONEWORKING MACHINE Filed y 27. 1918 Patented July 18, 1924.

HENRY E. MERCER, OF CLAREMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIG-NOR TO SULLIVAN MACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTES.

STONEWORKING- MACHINE.

Application filed May 27, 1918. Serial No. 236,894.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. MERCER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Claremont, in the county of Sullivan and State of New Hampshire, have invented, certain new and useful Improvements in Stoneworking Machines, of which the followmg is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to stone working machines, and more particularly to machines em loying a percussive tool operated by suitab e actuating mechanism between which and the tool are interposed pneumatic devices for controlling the operation of the tool under the influence of the actuating mechanism, so as to produce the most efl'ective cutting stroke, and for protectingthe mechanism against destructive or objectionable jars due to the percussive action of the tool.

The invention has for an object the provision of an improved pneumatic device of the character referred to whereby the action of the tool under the impulse of its actuating mechanism will be so controlled as to impart to the same a working stroke of the desired character, and whereby a circulation and renewal of the air in the device will be maintained, thereby preventing the overheating of said device due to the compression of the air therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a machine of the character referred to, improved means for applying power to the tool actuating mechanism of such a character as to permit the convenient ad-' justment of the cutting mechanism as a whole toward and from the work in accordance with requirements without disturbing the driving connections.

A further object of the invention is the provision, in astone working machine, of an improved cylinder and piston mechanism for connectingthe cutting tool with its actuating'means which permits a light cylinder construction while providing for theproper guiding of the parts and the efficient transmission of the power.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, together with means whereby the same may be carried into effect, will best be understood from'the following description substantially on the line 22, Fig. 1.

For convenience the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a stone channeling machine which, except as hereinafter pointed out, may be of any usual or well known construction. As shown, said machine comprises a truck 10 mounted on wheels 11 adapted to run on tracks 12, said truck having a longitudinally extending trunnion bar 13 on which is mounted a standard 14, said standard being longitudinally and angularly adjustable on said trunnion bar and being retained in adjusted angular position by means of an inclined brace 15, as is usual in machines of this character. The standard 14 is provided with suitable vertical guides 16 in which is mounted a sliding frame 17 carrying the cutting mechanism, said sliding frame being vertically adjustable in said guides, to move the cutting mechanism toward and from the work, by means of the usual feed screw 18 journaled in the standard 14 and engaging a threaded opening in a sleeve 19 secured to or formed as part of the sliding frame 17. The parts thus far referred to, being usual in machines of this general type, require no further description in detail.

The sliding frame 17 is provided with vertical guides 20 in which is slidably mounted a crosshead 21 carrying the usual gang of channeling tools 22 and connected to an extension 23 of the lower head 24 of a cylinder 25 having an upper head 26 proceedingly strong cylinder which is also inexpensive to manufacture, the slides 27 on the upper cylinder head 26 providing means for reliably guiding the cylinder while permitting the use of a relatively light cylinder shell.. It will be noted that the slides 27 are spaced longitudinally of said channeling mechanism with respect to the crosshead 21 and that both are slidably mounted and so guided in the guides 20. This longitudinal spacing of the guiding means re sults in a light, yet strong and well-guided mechanism.

'Within the cylinder 25 is a piston 30 having at its upper side a tubular extension 31 passing through and guided by a stuffing box 32in the upper cylinder head 26. Pivoted to the piston 30 within the tubular guide 31 isa piston rod 33 connected at its upperend to the crank pin/34 of acrank shaft 35 jou-rnaled in suitable bearings in the sliding frame l7. tion the. power transmitted to the piston through the connectingrod 33 is applied directly to the piston within the cylinder, while said piston is effectively guided, by the tubular extension 31, with respect to the cylinder'at a point relatively close to the; guiding means 20, 27 of the cylinder, thereby minimizing the effect of eccentric strains upon the apparatus tending to throw the cylinder and piston out of alinement.

Secured to the crank shaft 35, is a bevel gear 36 which meshes with a bevel pinion 37 on a shaft 38 journaled in a suitable bearing in a harp 39 loosely hung on the shaft 35. The shaft 38 has a sliding splined connection with the hollow shaft 40 of a suitable electric or other motor 41 provided with trunnions 42. journaled in brackets or arms 43 carried by the standard 14. By the foregoing connections the crank shaft 35 and the piston 30 are actuated from the motor 41. It will be observed that, by reason of the pivotal mounting of the motor, the concentric mounting of the gear 36 and harp 39, which permits angular movement of the harp about the shaft 35 without disturbing the engagement of the gears 36 and 37, and the extensible or telescopic character of the shafting 38, 40, the cutting mechanism may be vertically adjusted in its guides in the standard or support 14 without disturbing the operative connections between said cutting mechanism and the motor 41. which is carried by said standard or support.

The wall of the-cylinder 25 is provided spring pressed check valve 48; The upper By this construe-- cylinder head 26 is provided with a small outlet port 49.

The operation of the cutting mechanism or less pressure has been built up in said cylinder, whereupon the cylinder will com.-

mence to reciprocate with an amplitude which is gradually increased up to the point of full operation, and a frequency corresponding to that of the piston, the timing of the movements of the cylinder being, however, delayed with respect to those of the piston. For example, when the piston reaches thelimit of its upward movement, as shown in the drawings, the cylinder will still be moving upwardly, and this upward movement of the cylinder continues for a time after the downward movement ofthe piston has commenced. The air in said cyl ind'er beneath the piston is therefore compressed, arresting the'upward movement of said cylinder and causing the same tomove sharply downwardly under the elastic. impulse of said compressed air. This provides for a quick reversal of the movement of the cylinder and its connected cutting tools 22, notwithstanding the fact that the vertical movement of the pistonis slowest immediately before and after its reversal. At the time that the downward impulse is given to the cylinder, the piston will have passed below the port 45, and have approached the limit of its downward movement, so that the downward'movement of the cylinder causes the port 45 to move be low the piston, leaving the port 44 above it. The upper and lower ends of the cylinder are therefore placed in communication with one another through. the bypass 46,. thereby virtually operatively. disconnecting the cyli 'inder and piston, so that the-blowstruck" by the cutting tools .is caused by the momentum ofthe parts due to the initial 3 V impulse above referred to, the shock ofsaid'f blow not being communicated to the piston and other partsof the apparatus. After the blow has been struck the tools and their attached cylinder will rebound from the rock, carrying the cylinder upwardly, the direction of movement of the'lpiston having at this time been reversed so'that said piston is also moving upwardly, As the upward velocity of the cylinder, due to its rebound,

diminishes, until it is less than the upward velocity ofthe piston, the air above. said The effect is that of throwing the tool forwardly against the rock with great force, releasing the same at its moment of impact against the rock, and catching th same upon its rebound reparatory to another forward impulse, the amplitude of movement of the cylinder and tool being considerably greater than that of the piston.

By the foregoing it will be seen that at each reciprocation of the mechanism a greater or less amount of air will pass from the lower end of the cylinder to the upper end thereof through the bypass 46; that this loss of air from the lower end of the cylinder will be compensated for by the admission of air through the check valve 48 and inlet openings 47 and that excess air at the upper end of the cylinder will be gradually discharged through the outlet opening 49. While, in the operation of the machine, the air will, to a certain extent, surge back and forth through the bypass 46 from the lower to the upper end of the cylinder when the parts are moving in one direction, and in the opposite direction when the movement of the parts is reversed, there is a general tendency, due to the operation of the apparatus as well as to the operation of the check valve 48, for the re sultant movement of the air to be upwardly from the inlet 47, through the bypass 46, to the outlet 49. In this manner a circulation and renewal of the air in the cylinder is maintained, thereby preventing overheating of the parts due to the compression of the air, which overheating, in machines of this character, frequently becomes so intense as to necessitate the temporary shutting down of the machine.

In the operation of channeling tools, it is common practice to wash the cuttings away from the cutting end of the bits or cutting tools by a system termed mudding. In this mudding, a sump is usually sunk at one or both ends of the cut to be made, and water is admitted to the cut to wash the cuttings into these sumps. 'Ihe mud thus formed is quite thick and resists the forward movement of the cutting toolsin the cut, producing a bending moment on the tool carrying and actuating means. This moment is especially detrimental to the operation of the channeling tool when the cut is deep and the bits are long, for the working parts bend, the cutting speed is materially reduced, and the channeler is subjected to severe strains. This moment is resisted, in the present embodiment of my invention, by spaced guides carried by the crosshead 21 and the opposite end of th tool actuating means connected directly thereto and herein shown as the cylinder 25. The clownward movement of the piston is transferred directly to the lower cylinder head and therefrom to the upper guide by bolts which receive the bending moment and save the cylinder the transverse stresses which it would otherwise receive. This construction permits the use of a very light cylinder whose inertia is small, thus permitting a rapid reciprocation of the bits. WVhile I have in this application specifically described one form which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l-The combination with a power transmitting mechanism subjected to repeated shocks and including a single cylinder and a single piston therein cooperating to cushion said shocks, bypass passage adapted to interconnect the chambers at opposite sides of the piston in the cylinder for causing a unidirectional flow of air through said chambers to prevent excessive temperatures in the latter.

2. The combination with a power transmitting mechanism subjected to repeated shocks and including a single cylinder and a single piston therein cooperating to cushion said shocks, of means for causing air to flow through the chambers in the cylinder at the opposite sides of the piston in series.

3. The combination with a power transmitting mechanism subjected to repeated shocks and including a cylinder and a single piston therein cooperating to cushion said shocks, which piston divides the interior of the cylinder into a pair of chambers, of

means for causing a fluid to enter one of said chambers, to pass therefrom to the other, and to be discharged, the points of entry and discharge of the fluid being at the remote ends of said chambers.

4. In a mechanism for striking a series of blows, a striking member, a source of power, and means for transmitting power from said source to said member including a' single cylinder, a single piston therein, and means for causing a oneway flow of of means including a air through said cylinder comprising a port at each end of said cylinder, one of said ports being controlled by an inwardly opening check valve.

5-. In combination, a cylinder, a single piston therein having a piston rod extending through an end of said cylinder, and means to cause a flow of air therethrough comprising a port at one end of said cylinder controlled by an inwardly opening check valve and a port adjacent the piston rod at the other end thereof.

6. In a stone cutting mechanism, a tool, means for actuating the same, and transmission mechanism between said tool and actuating means comprising a single cylinder, a single piston therein, and means for causing a unidirectional flow of air through the chambers at opposite sides of the piston in said cylinder to prevent exoessive temperatures therein, said last mentioned means including means for admitting fluid to one of said chambers, bypass passage forming means for conducting fluid between said chambers and means affording a communication between the other of said chambers and the atmosphere.

7. In a stone cutting mechanism, a tool, means for actuating the same, and transmission mechanism between said tool and actuating means comprising a cylinder member and a single piston member therein,

' one of said members being connected to Cir said tool and the other operatively connected to said means for reciprocation thereby, and said cylinder member being pro vided with a valvefcontrolled air inlet at one end, a vent at its'opposite end, and byass means commimicating'with the bore of the cylinderinember at points spaced longitudinally thereof by a distance greater than the length of said piston member.

8. In a stone cutting mechanism, a tool, a prime mover for actuating the same, and transmission mechanism between said tool and prime mover comprising a single cylinder member, a single piston member there in and operative connections between one otsaid members and said tool and the other thereot and said prime mover, and means cooperating with said cylinder and piston members to effect a circulation of air throughthe former including valve controlled inlet meanstor the chamber formed between said members at one end of said cylinder member, discharge means communicating with the corresponding chamber at theother end of said cylinder member and means operative atintervals' to interconnect said chambers. p 7 V 9'. In a mechanism adapted to strike a series of blows, astriking tool, means for actuating said tool, andtransmitting mechan sm-between said tool and said actuating means: comprising a single cylinder, a single piston therein, and means for causing a oneway flow of air through said cylinder'comprising a port at each end of said cylinder, one of said ports being controlled by an inwardly opening check valve.

10. In a stone working machine, in combination, a cutting tool, actuating means therefor, and driving connections between said tool and actuating means including a single cylinder and a. single piston therein, said connections having means "for controlling the relative movement of said cylinder and piston and for maintaining a circulation and renewal of air from end to end of said cylinder. 7 I

11. In a stone working machine, in com-, bination, a cutting tool, actuating means therefor, and driving connections between said tool and actuating means including a reciprocable cylinder and a piston therein, .said cylinder having an inlet opening and an outlet opening in its opposite ends respectivcly, means *for intermittently connecting said openings, and a check valve controlling one of said openings.

12. In a stone working machine, in combination, a cutting tool, actuating means therefor, and driving connections between said tool and actuating means including a cylinder and a single piston therein, said cylinder having a bypass both ends of which 7 communicate with the interior of said cylinder intermediate the ends thereof and may be overrun by said piston, and means for maintaining acirculationand renewal of air in said cylinder.

13. In a stone working machine, in (30111-7 bination, a cutting tool, actuating means therefor including a positively moved member, and driving connections between said tool and positively moved member including a single cylinder and a single piston therein reach connected to one of said last named elements, said cylinder having means for controlling the relative movements of said cylinder and piston including an inlet opening and an outlet opening in its opposite ends respectively, one of which openings is valve 7 controlled.

14:. In a stone working machine, in combination, acutting tool, actuating means, a cylinder connected with one of said elements, a piston in said cylinder connected with the other of said elements, said cylinder having a bypass both ends of which communicate with the interior of said cylinder intermediate the ends thereof, and said cylinderhaving also an inlet opening and an outlet opening located respectively beyond the: ends of said bypass, and means for controlling the passage of air to and from said cylinder in- 'cluding a valve controlled port.

15'. In a stone working machine, in combination, a cutting tool, actuating means, a" cyhnder COIIIIBCtQCl-WltltOIlB-Of said elements,j

a piston in said cylinder cjonnected'with the other of said elements, saidcylinder having a bypass both ends of which communicate with the interior of said cylinder intermediate the ends thereof, and said cylinder having also an inlet opening and an outlet opening in its opposite ends respectively, and a check valve controlling one of said openings.

16. In a stone working machine, in combination, a support, cutting appliances, actuating means therefor including a member to which said cutting appliances are attached, said cutting appliances and actuating means being movable relative to said support toward and from the work, guiding means for said cutting appliances disposed in spaced relation and respectively adjacent the end of said remote from that member to which said cutting appliances are attached, and at a point spaced toward the work from the other end of said member, a motor pivotally mounted on said support and angularly ad justable, and a longitudinally extensible connection between said motor and actuating means. I

17. In a stone working machine, the combination with a cutting tool and actuating means therefor, of driving connections between said tool and actuating means including a cylinder connected with one of said elements, a piston in said cylinder connected with the other of said elements, a pair of guides, and a single cylinder-guiding means cooperating with said guides and including slides supported only by the upper one of the heads of said cylinder and constituting the sole cylinder guiding means above the lower limit of the cylinder, the reaction of said driving connections being transverse to the planes of said guides.

18. In a stone working machine, the combination with a cutting tool and actuating means therefor, of driving connections be tween said tool and actuating means including a cylinder connected with one of said elements, a piston in said cylinder connected with the other of said elements, a pair of guides, and slides cooperating therewith carried by the head of said cylinder farthest from said tool and constituting the sole guiding means associated directly with said cylinder, the reaction of said driving connections being transverse to the p lanes of said guides.

19. In a stone working machine, the combination with a cutting tool and actuating means therefor, of driving connections between said tool and actuating means including a cylinder connected with one of said elements, a piston in said cylinder connected with the other of said elements, said cylinder comprising a shell, a pair of heads, and tie rods connecting said heads, a pair of guides, and slides carried only by the head of said cylinder which is remote from the connectil tion of the latter with one of said element-s, said slides cooperating with said guides.

20. In a power transmitting mechanism for transmitting power to a work striking member, means for cushioning the shocks resulting from the striking of said member on its workincluding a: cylinder, a piston therein, one of said elements being positively reciprocated and the other connected to said striking member, and means for causing air to flow through said cylinder to prevent excessive temperatures therein including means for admitting air to the space at one side of the piston, means for conducting air therefrom to the space at the other side of said piston and separate discharge means at the latter side.

21. In a stoneworking machine, in combination, a cutting tool, actuating means therefor, and driving connections between said tool and actuating means, including a single cylinder having therein a single piston, said cylinder and piston being rela tively reciprocable, means associated with one end of said cylinder for permitting a unidirectional flow of air between the latter and the atmosphere, a connection between the other end of said cylinder and the atmos phere, and means for intermittently permitting a flow of air from one side of said piston to the other when the latter is in approximately midposition of its path of relative movement with respect to the cylinder.

22. In a stone working machine, the combination with a cutting tool and actuating means therefor, of driving connections between said tool and actuating means including a cylinder connected with one of said elements, a piston in said cylinder connected with the other of said elements, said cylinder comprising a shell, a pair of heads, and tie rods connecting said heads, and said piston having a tubular extension guided in one of said heads, cylinder guiding means and piston attached to said last mentioned head. actuating means extending through said tubular extension.

23. In a stone working machine, the combination with a cutting tool and actuating means therefor, of driving connections between said tool and actuating means including a cylinder connected with one of said elements, a piston in said cylinder connected with the other of said elements, said piston having a tubular extension guided in one of the heads of said cylinder, a single guiding means carried by said cylinder and including slides carried by said cylinder head, guides with which said slides cooperate, and a pitman pivoted to said piston and extending through said tubular extension.

24. In a stone working machine, the combination with a cutting tool and actuating means therefor, of driving connections between said tool and actuating means ineluding a cylinder connected With one of said elements, a piston in said cylinder connected With the other of said elements, said cylinder comprising a shell, a pair of heads, and tie rods connecting said heads, and said piston having a tubular extension guided in one of said heads, slides carried by said last named head, guides with which saidslides cooperate, and a pitman pivoted to said n-iston and extending through said tubular eX- 10 tension. e i

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HENRY H. MERGER.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,500,598, granted July 8, 1924, upon the application of Henry H. Mercer, of Claremont, New Hampshire, for an improvement in Stoneworking Machines, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 5, line 18, claim 16, strike out the Word member and insert the same to follow after the word said, first occur' rence, in same line; same page, line 110, claim 22, strike out the words and piston and insert the same to follow after the Word head in line 111; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oifice.

Signed and sealed this 19th day of August, A. D. 1924.

[SEAL] KARL FENNING,

Acting Uommissz'oner of Patents. 

